Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Oklahoma City - Supporters of a state question to legalize medical marijuana will start paying petition circulators, compensating them should the proposal make it to the Nov. 8 ballot.
Chip Paul, co-chair of Oklahomans for Health, said Tuesday the organization recently decided to pay $1 per signature to circulators, which is substantially less than what other groups have paid in state question petition campaigns.
The organization needs 65,987 signatures to get the issue, State Question 788, on the ballot.
The signatures must be turned in by Aug. 11, Paul said.
"We are well on track," Paul said. "We are right where we need to be. We want to walk in there with a big buffer."
The effort marks the third time in recent years that supporters of medical marijuana have tried to get a state question on the ballot.
In 2014, Oklahomans for Health made a failed attempt. Following that, Green the Vote made an unsuccessful effort.
Paul said the first attempt by Oklahomans for Health did not use paid circulators.
The group decided this time around to pay collectors to ensure it obtains signatures in excess of the amount required, Paul said.
"It makes people verify and turn in their signatures," Paul said.
In addition, the organization has raised money and has pledges to pay the circulators should the state question make it to the ballot, he said.
Because it is the third time the issue has been circulated, some registered voters believe they have already signed the most recent petition, Paul said.
Using paid circulators is common, said Kellie Dupree, a spokeswoman for the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit focused on progressive ballot measures. Rates vary from state to state, she said.
Oklahoma's Children Our Future used paid collectors to get a proposal for a 1-cent state sales tax increase on the ballot this year, said Jay Williams, the operations manager for the education petition campaign.
Collectors were paid $2 to $5 per signature, depending on the number of signatures turned in each week, he said.
Doug Dodson is the campaign manager for two criminal justice reform measures that recently obtained enough signatures to be put on the ballot, State Questions 780 and 781.
Supporters of those initiatives also used paid signature collectors, but Dodson said he could not talk about the pay schedule.
Paul said supporters of legalizing medical marijuana have learned from past efforts on how to make the current attempt a success.
The organization's website, oklahomansforhealth.com, has a map where supporters can go to find out where signatures are being collected, he said.
Oklahomans for Health also has enlisted the help of stateRep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, who was his party's nominee for governor in 2014. Dorman serves on the organization's board.
"He has been a great help," Paul said. "Joe is a well-known person across Oklahoma. Whether you agree with his politics or not, many have heard his name and respect him."
Dorman's participation in the signature-gathering campaign brought additional attention to the subject.
"I am very confident we will get the signatures we need," Dorman said.
Once the signatures are collected, Dorman said, he expects a legal challenge but believes supporters will be successful.
Also on Tuesday, state Sen. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, endorsed the proposal. She is a former member of the Oklahoma House.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Proponents To Pay Petition Circulators If Measure Gets On The Ballot
Author: Barbara Hoberock
Contact: 918-581-8400
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Website: Tulsa World
Chip Paul, co-chair of Oklahomans for Health, said Tuesday the organization recently decided to pay $1 per signature to circulators, which is substantially less than what other groups have paid in state question petition campaigns.
The organization needs 65,987 signatures to get the issue, State Question 788, on the ballot.
The signatures must be turned in by Aug. 11, Paul said.
"We are well on track," Paul said. "We are right where we need to be. We want to walk in there with a big buffer."
The effort marks the third time in recent years that supporters of medical marijuana have tried to get a state question on the ballot.
In 2014, Oklahomans for Health made a failed attempt. Following that, Green the Vote made an unsuccessful effort.
Paul said the first attempt by Oklahomans for Health did not use paid circulators.
The group decided this time around to pay collectors to ensure it obtains signatures in excess of the amount required, Paul said.
"It makes people verify and turn in their signatures," Paul said.
In addition, the organization has raised money and has pledges to pay the circulators should the state question make it to the ballot, he said.
Because it is the third time the issue has been circulated, some registered voters believe they have already signed the most recent petition, Paul said.
Using paid circulators is common, said Kellie Dupree, a spokeswoman for the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit focused on progressive ballot measures. Rates vary from state to state, she said.
Oklahoma's Children Our Future used paid collectors to get a proposal for a 1-cent state sales tax increase on the ballot this year, said Jay Williams, the operations manager for the education petition campaign.
Collectors were paid $2 to $5 per signature, depending on the number of signatures turned in each week, he said.
Doug Dodson is the campaign manager for two criminal justice reform measures that recently obtained enough signatures to be put on the ballot, State Questions 780 and 781.
Supporters of those initiatives also used paid signature collectors, but Dodson said he could not talk about the pay schedule.
Paul said supporters of legalizing medical marijuana have learned from past efforts on how to make the current attempt a success.
The organization's website, oklahomansforhealth.com, has a map where supporters can go to find out where signatures are being collected, he said.
Oklahomans for Health also has enlisted the help of stateRep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, who was his party's nominee for governor in 2014. Dorman serves on the organization's board.
"He has been a great help," Paul said. "Joe is a well-known person across Oklahoma. Whether you agree with his politics or not, many have heard his name and respect him."
Dorman's participation in the signature-gathering campaign brought additional attention to the subject.
"I am very confident we will get the signatures we need," Dorman said.
Once the signatures are collected, Dorman said, he expects a legal challenge but believes supporters will be successful.
Also on Tuesday, state Sen. Anastasia Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, endorsed the proposal. She is a former member of the Oklahoma House.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Proponents To Pay Petition Circulators If Measure Gets On The Ballot
Author: Barbara Hoberock
Contact: 918-581-8400
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Website: Tulsa World
